One of my best memories with my Dad is being in the kitchen. He was a great cook. Homemade ice cream every 4th of July, barbecue, biscuits & gravy, pancakes, waffles, canned peaches, peach preserves, watermelon rind candy, chili.... I learned a lot from him.
In Colorado, every year in late summer/early autumn, you can get fire roasted chiles on the street corners. We would come home with a bushel of roasted chiles and he would make his green chile sauce with pork. Spicy, creamy and robust with flavor. I miss green chile, but mostly I miss my Dad.
Here's the thing about sauces, they are thickened with either corn starch or made with a roux (wheat flour and oil). These do not work for a low carb life. Previously I posted a green chile sauce using tomatoes but I want that green, creamy goodness that comes from Hatch Green Chiles. I think this recipe is pretty close because let's face it enchiladas are all about the sauce and cheese. Right?!
Keto Green Chile Sauce
150 grams Texas Sweet Onions, diced
1 T favorite cooking oil
1 bag (12 oz) Great Value Cauliflower Florets, microwaved for 6 minutes (1100 watts) You want it on the softer side.
1 cup 505 Southwestern fire roasted Hatch green chiles (in a jar. I get these at Walmart since it's not Hatch Chile season in Texas yet.)
1 cup chicken bone broth
2 tsp Simply Organic Adobo Seasoning
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
In a large, deep side skillet or large saucepan, saute onion in oil until clear and golden brown on the edges. Season with salt and pepper.
While onions are cooking, place steamed cauliflower and chicken broth in food processor and blend to smooth.
Once onions are done, add in cumin and Adobo seasonings. Heat seasonings slightly (This helps release their flavors). Pour in pureed cauliflower and green chiles. Stir all together. If too thick add more broth. Taste. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Bring up heat. Serve hot over favorite dish.
Notes: This makes 8 servings for my macros and dietary needs. To lower the carbs you can reduce the amount of onions. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your tastes as well. You can also add a little heavy cream or cream cheese for a more creamy texture.
Keto Tortillas
I make these weekly and usually have some on hand in the fridge for easy weeknight meals.
(Adapted from Joe Duff's recipe on his YouTube Channel)
224 grams Blue Diamond fine Almond Flour
16 grams Kate Naturals Xanthan Gum
8 grams Anthony's Oat Fiber
1 tsp Pink Salt
1 tsp Baking Powder
2 large eggs
44 grams water
Measure and mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
In another bowl, whisk eggs and then whisk in water. Pour into dry mixture and mix all together with a fork. It can seem dry. I mash with my fork until all the dry is mixes with the wet. I then place a little coconut oil (or oil of choice) on my hands and I knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes. I then measure the total gram weight of my dough ball, divide that weight by 10 which gives the gram weight of each tortilla ball. I then cut the dough ball into 10 equal balls. Set the dough balls aside.
Set up a tortilla press, a sheet of parchment paper folded in half (should be slightly larger than your press), a rolling pin (if you want the tortillas thinner) and a non stick skillet. Place the non stick skillet over medium to medium low heat without oil. No oil is needed for the initial cooking.
Take a ball of dough, place it inside (in the middle) the folded parchment in your tortilla press and flatten the dough. Remove from the press. If you want it thinner, just roll slightly with a rolling pin while still in the parchment. Remove from the parchment and cook in the hot skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on the first side. It will changed from a yellowish color to a lighter color. Flip your tortilla and cook for 10 seconds. Remove from skillet and repeat process for your next tortilla until all tortillas are cooked through. Recipe makes 10 tortillas.
These tortillas have a great texture and taste. I use them for sandwich wraps, quesadillas, enchiladas, nachos (make great chips), soft tacos and fried crispy tacos. Pictured below are crispy fried tacos.
Assembling the enchiladas:
Cooked shredded chicken (seasoned with Adobo, salt and pepper) (I use about 25 to 30 grams of cooked chicken per enchilada)
Shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite cheese)
Sour cream
Green chile sauce
Almond flour tortillas
Favorite toppings: lettuce, fresh tomato, avocado, sour cream, black olives
Mix your cooked shredded chicken with some sour cream, some cheddar cheese and a little of the green chile sauce. I look for the chicken to be coated but not soupy. I fill my tortilla with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture depending on the size of the tortilla. I then take the rolled enchiladas and fry them in a little oil in the skillet. Once browned on two sides, remove to a baking or microwave dish. Cover each enchilada with a 1/4 cup of hot green chile sauce and shredded cheddar cheese. You can place in your oven @ 350° F until bubbly or you can microwave for 2 minutes. During the summer in Texas I microwave my serving of two enchiladas. I serve with chopped lettuce, fresh tomatoes, sour cream and guacamole. Choose your favorite toppings and enjoy.
Note: I have had these without pan frying and they are really good. The tortillas will soak up the sauce and they become soggy though. Frying them helps them to stay a more firm once topped with sauce.
